### Author:  [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2002, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scamming-the-scammers-how-should-elva-reply/136264/1 "2002-11-11T08:03:55Z")
Inspired by [**this**](http://www.geocities.com/steerp1ke/) website linked to in [**this**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=140314) thread, I have decided to claim my own slice of the phantom $25 million scam-the-scammers pie.
Here is the correspondence so far (mine in italics). I’ve chosen to play this one “straight” - though “Elva” can always turn freako at any time. “Andy Moyo” is obviously warmed up and excited - he’s giving out his phone number - so what should I do next?
> [@](#):
>
> FROM:Mr Andy Moyo
> JOHANNESBURG
> SOUTH AFRICA
>
> ATTN:M.D.C/E/O
>
> ```
> PLEASE HELP ME
>
> ```
>
> I know this will come to you as a surprise,receiving an email from someone like me since you don’t know mem personally. Kindly allow me; I am andy,Moyo, son of Dr. Morgan Moyo, who was murdered in February last year in the land dispute crisis in Zimbabwe.
>
> My family used to live in a town called Chinhoyi located in the heart of Mashonaland about 120km from Harare, the capital city of my former country Zimbabwe, Chinhoyi was largely a peaceful farming area where one can own land and cultivate it if one worked hard enough. The relative peace existing in Chinhoyi and our lives were shattered with the beginning of the ruling party’s sponsored land invasion by war veterans who we suspected were acting with the backing of the government of Mugabe. My late father was among the few black Zimbabwean rich farmers murdered in cold blood by the agents of the ruling government of President Robert Mugabe. For his alleged support and sympathy for the Zimbabwean opposition Party. Before his death, My Father on one of his many trips abroad took me to Johannesburg to deposit the sum of US$28.5 Million (twenty eight Million, Five-Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) with a security and finance company as if he foresaw the looming danger in Zimbabwe.
>
> \
>
> I and my Mother live a very quiet life here in South Africa trying to forget the recent horrors that we escaped so I please demand that you keep the existence of our late father’s money discreetly for reasons bordering on the safety of myself and my family members shall be very grateful if you maintain the confidentiality of our request to you forassistance. Looking forward to hearing from you.
>
> Yours in andy
> \*Dear Mr Moyo,
>
> Thank you for your interesting and surprising email. I am very sorry for the trouble and suffering you family has been through.
>
> I would very much like to help you in any way I can. I have handled
> offshore financial transactions many times, and it will be no difficulty at all to transfer funds for you via my account. Your offer of compensation for this service is very kind and generous given your difficult personal
> circumstances.
>
> I look forward very much to hearing back from you with more details.
>
> yours sincerely,
>
> Elva Banting\*
> Dear Elva,
> This is coming to you as a reminder for my long sent message to
> you,Please tell me the reasons for the delay,
> Are you still willing to assist me in this transaction or
> not?Please i will like you to get back to me as soon as you
> recieved this mail,Because i don’t want anything that will delay
> this transaction anymore.Please get back to me so that i will know
> if i can make an alternative arrangment.
> I am waiting for your urgent reply.
>
> Best Regards,
> Andy Moyo.
> \*Dear Andy,
>
> I am very sorry but have not yet received any response to you since my first reply to you. Could you try to resend the email please?
>
> I look forward very much to hearing back from you.
>
> yours sincerely,
>
> Elva Banting\*
> Dear Elva
> Many thanks for your kind e mail and acceptance to assist
> our family in the soonest execution of this magnificient monetary
> transaction.
>
> ```
> Kindly send your direct contact telephone ,mobile and fax
>
> ```
>
> number to us for verbal and strady communication between you and
> our family .This is for the security of your further
> communications ,as we do not have private computer in our
> apartmenthere.You can also reach me on my direct telephone
> number:+27-83-504-1906 and fax number
> :+27-83-991-5440.Endeavour to contact me by phone or fax or email
> as well.
>
> Yours truly
>
> ANDY MOYO
> (FOR THE FAMILY)
Interesting to note Andy’s incompetency at sending email - after the one that never arrived, I got SIX copies of the latest one. And his endearing illiteracy, which seems to be increasing with every email.
So what should Elva do? Should she turn into a nymphoid elderly spinster who demands sex as her commission from Mr Moyo?
Suggestions please!
---
### Author:  [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2002, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scamming-the-scammers-how-should-elva-reply/136264/2 "2002-11-11T09:28:08Z")
I have a feeling you’re not going to get much more out of him via email. I’ve been tempted to answer these too.
---
### Author:  [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2002, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scamming-the-scammers-how-should-elva-reply/136264/3 "2002-11-11T11:13:16Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Dear Andy,
>
> It is indeed a magnficent monetary transaction on a truly grand scale. And hopefully a “munificent” one as well!! (just my little joke)
>
> You have asked me for some contact numbers. You can fax me on +13-09-214-1175 and you can reach me by 'phone on +818-239-1452 or 818-239-1455. If either of those numbers don’t work, or you are having timezone problems (being as you are in African and I am not) please let me know at the soonest. Unfortunately I can’t make international calls from my workplace but I think I can still receive them.
>
> I am sorry to hear that you do not have a private computer in your apartment and hope that once this transaction is carried out you will be able to afford the very best technology for you and your Family. Please let me know if you would like advice on this as I have a nephew in the computer business who may be able to get you a good deal on a new or refurbished computer.
>
> Best wishes to you and The Family and god willing all will soon be safe for your future.
>
> yours ever sincerely
>
> Elva Banting\*
---
### Author:  [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2002, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scamming-the-scammers-how-should-elva-reply/136264/4 "2002-11-11T18:56:13Z")
That first number has me stumped, but I know the other two are payphones across from Waldenbooks, Media City Center. What is that other one? Interpol?
---
### Author:  [@aenea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aenea)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2002, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scamming-the-scammers-how-should-elva-reply/136264/5 "2002-11-12T14:05:36Z")
Wonko,
How do you know about the payphones?
😕
---
### Author:  [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2002, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scamming-the-scammers-how-should-elva-reply/136264/6 "2002-11-12T14:59:05Z")
I’d love to sound really mysterious and such, but all I did was plug the numbers into [yahoo.com](http://yahoo.com) to see what came up. Often you’ll get a business webpage for contact info, but I got “The Payphone Project” which lists the numbers and locations of payphones. The other number did odd things when I plugged it into a search engine.
---
### Author:  [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scamming-the-scammers-how-should-elva-reply/136264/7 "2002-11-20T07:19:31Z")
Yes - there’s a payphone directory actually on the web, which is where I got the numbers from.
[http://www.payphone-directory.org/](http://www.payphone-directory.org/)
It’s great because you can actually find numbers from Disneyland, and Pizza Parlours, and that sort of thing.
The fax is from [http://www.e-fax.com](http://www.e-fax.com) - they give free email receiving accounts. And yes - I actually got a fax from Andy!! You can view it at [http://www.freewebs.com/afops/scams.html](http://www.freewebs.com/afops/scams.html)
I’m also getting busy with other personas - Elva’s latest is a white nazi lady from The Church Of White Fire.